Back, I guess, and sorta ready...

Well, dear readers, what can I say?  I haven't been blogging (my great capacity for stating the obvious) but I have been noticing some things around my stomping grounds.

Here's the thing: my darling mumsey has cancer and is slowing fading away before our eyes.  It's beyond sad and I've cried a river over it.  I'm not going to add more about that, though, because this is not the venue for sad family stories.  Just know that I have been distracted and busy and not neglecting you intentionally.

BUT!  I do want to get a few little tidbits noted and then I'll try to fill things out later.  To that end, I'll have to resort to bullets.

• Occupy Portland!  Wow!  Have you seen all of those tents downtown?  How hilarious is it that they chose the park between the cop shop and courthouse?  I love it!  And, in true Portland fashion, when it looked like they were going to be in the way for the Portland Marathon, they moved.  And came right back.  We're civilized like that.
• In the same neighborhood, the Edith Green/Wendell Wyatt Federal Building is finally looking like more than a steel skeleton.  There is some steel superstructure going up on the front and the south side is getting some skin.  I'll try to get some pictures.
• In my neighborhood, the Gulch, that derelict brick building on 21st that almost fell into the freeway is being rehabbed.  What?!  Who would put money into that?  I don't know, but they are shoring up the south facing foundation and building a new exterior wall.  Go figure.  Again, pictures would be helpful.
• The Slammer Tavern.  Someone has moved into the apartment above the tavern.  It's been vacant for as long as I can remember and always looked like hell, but now someone is living there.  I drive by on my way home from work and I can't help but stare as I'm stopped at the light (7th and Stark).  Weird, huh?
• South Waterfront and the New Bridge.  The south waterfront is a freaking nightmare.  I don't know why they can't do some of that work at night.  It is hellish down there!  But, watching the progress on the new bridge over the Willamette is interesting.  The new bridge will be just upstream from OMSI and cross over to the yet-to-be-built new complex of education high rises.  OHSU, PSU, and OSU are combining forces and funding and building a shared campus.  The bridge will be adjacent.  The bridge will be for light rail (a new Max line to SE -- yes, Milwaukie), bicycles, and pedestrians.  No cars!  The view from the Hill is pretty good and sometimes I'll pause on the 8th floor and watch the bridge stuff going on.

I feel like there were a couple more things I wanted to make note of, but I can't remember right now.  I'll try to get back here before too much time elapses and update you, but in the meantime, I NEED A CAMERA!  My phone takes the crappiest pictures and my little digital snappy broke so I'm in the market for something easy and cheap.

Oh, and if you were paying attention, I said that on my drive home... sad to say, I'm not riding my bike much right now.  For one thing, it's wet out.  Really wet.  But the bigger issue is that I am working a swing shift and I just don't feel good about riding home in the wet, cold, dark night.  I sure do miss Helen though.  Sigh. But, if we have a break in the weather, I'll be pedaling.

I guess that's all I've got for now.  

Sunset

I love the sideways slanting light of late afternoon, the way it illuminates and makes poignant all that it touches.  Here, on this hill, the light strikes the undersides of the branches of tall fir trees, making them shimmer with silver and gold and darkest green.

Sour Cherries

Is that anything like sour grapes?  NO!  Pretty much the opposite, in fact.

Sour cherries are the fruit that delicious cherry pies are made from.  Also the fruit that sour cherry jam is made from.  And all sorts of wonderful baked treats.  If you like cherry pie I can guarantee that you will like any pastry made with sour cherries.

And here's the big news: I found a source for sour cherries!  I have been searching, every spring, for several years for a local grower of sour cherries.  I couldn't find one!  I even tried the grower's cooperative in Hood River, for crying out loud.  Any growers that I found only sold to wholesalers.  But, hallelujah and pass the pastry, I've found one in Yamhill county!

Fruithill, Inc sells 4 gallon pails of sour pie cherries - with or without sugar - to the public.  I contacted them yesterday and had my name added to the database of customers so that I will get an alert when the cherries are ready.  Then it's just a pleasant drive to the country with money in hand and I'll be returning home with some future baked deliciousness.

Of course, you know what this means.  I'll have to buy a freezer.  And, even more important, I'll have to start baking.  You might want to show up around my house when that happens.

So. Damned. Excited!

Summer

Just in case you're following along, it's summer in the Pacific Northwest.  What does that mean?


The high today is expected to be in the mid-60's.


I'm still wearing corduroy --  comfortably.  And a sweater.

Waterfront Park

Governor Tom McCall Waterfront Park sure takes a beating during the summer.  At least, the lawn does.  And, if Pioneer Courthouse Square is Portland's living room, Waterfront Park is Portland's backyard.  We spend a lot of time there!

It starts with Cinco de Mayo in the spring and then gets a month reprieve.  Then we have the Rose Festival, followed immediately by Gay Pride.  These two events pulverize the grass.  I rode along the waterfront this morning on my way to work and the city crews have already been out aerating the lawns, just a day after the event.

There is some smaller event setting up right now, down at the Saturday Market area of the park.  It is some kind of bicycle event, but I can't remember what it is ~ I know, bicycles in pdx, go figure!

In a couple of weeks we will have the Waterfront Blues Festival at the opposite end of the park.  Boats are already being anchored just south of the Hawthorne Bridge for the Blues Fest.  It's quite the party!

Not too long after that is the Oregon Brewer's Fest.  Mmmm.... beeeeer!  The best craft beers that you can't even imagine are available for sample.

Not into the beer thing?  How about The Bite?  That goes down in August.  It usually draws a huge and hungry crowd.

The Oregon Symphony has an outdoor concert towards the end of summer.  It's free (because you can't charge people on the sidewalk for listening!) which is nice.  It typically ends with the 1812 Overture complete with fireworks and canons.  We can hear that across the river and in the neighborhood!

There's more, oh so much more.  Oddly enough, the Portland Parks and Recreation department doesn't have a comprehensive event calendar on line.  These are just the things I could remember off the top of my head.  At any rate, large and small events are happening at the waterfront all spring, summer and fall.  The people who maintain the grass have good job security.  We love it to death!

Bumpersticker

I drove past a car that was covered in bumper-stickers yesterday afternoon.  It was at Freddy's.  One of them caught my eye.  It said:

God Is Not Christian

Quite possibly one of the best bumper-stickers I've ever seen.  I parked and walked back to read the rest of the car.  Second favorite?  "Lesbian Mafia, Portland Oregon".  Now, that just makes me lol!

Things are Happening!

Too bad you don’t have a more assiduous blogger to report on them… sorry!

·         ROSE FESTIVAL!  How could I go so long without mentioning it?!?!?  The rides are whirling around on the Waterfront, the Starlight Parade was last weekend (good stuff: the weather was awesome and there was a huge turnout; Darcelle was the Grand Marshall!), the Junior Parade is today.  The Grand Floral Parade is this coming Saturday.  Also on Saturday, the Dragon Boat races begin.  Our niece is paddling in the Grant High School junior varsity boat – Go Generals!  The milk carton boat races might be today… if not, then they are sometime this week.  The fleet will be in next week, but it’s possible that not all the usual ships will be able to make it because of the high water level on the river.  Let’s see, what else… well, there’s lots and lots of stuff.  Go here if you want more info:  http://www.rosefestival.org/

·         Safeway on Hawthorne – GONE!  The block between 27^th and 28^th is now filled with rubble and it looks like they are digging a giant hole.  Not sure if a grocery store is going back in there, or if we will see another version of the ubiquitous ‘ground level retail, condos above’ meme.  One thing I will say for this piece of property, it’s got to have tremendous views!  It’s at the crest of a hill and has a spectacular view of downtown, the river, AND Mt Tabor to the east.  Will the upper floors also have a view of Mt Hood? 

·         High water.  See above, Rose Festival.  We have had plenty of rain this fall, winter and spring, and more importantly plenty of snowfall in the mountains.  Now that the weather is finally starting to warm up, all of that snow (well, much of it) is melting and heading downhill.  The people who control water in these parts have been drawing down the reservoirs to make room for the expected influx.  The Columbia is over flood stage right now, but not really threatening any human construction.  The Willamette is near flood stage, which is considerably lower than the height of the sea wall.  It is most noticeable if you are at Waterfront Park, or riding your bike over the Steel Bridge.  Oh, also, the Eastbank Esplanade is closed until the river settles down.

·         GAY PRIDE!  Is coming our way!  It’s the weekend after Rose Festival, as you all surely know.  This year, instead of standing around watching the parade with beverages in hand, my lovely partner and I will be walking in the parade and handing out swag.  At least, I hope there is some swag!  I got roped into working on my employer’s pride committee this year and walking in the parade is de rigueur for the committee.  My big contribution to the event was the idea of printed grocery bags as a giveaway.  Our logo is too busy, but the bags will be useful.  I’m definitely scoring one for my household!  Leave me a comment and I’ll get you one too!  Two colors – royal blue and lime green!